Autoblog

Lapping Le Mans with 1956's version of a dash cam

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:46:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Videos, Jaguar, Racing

Mike Hawthorne and Ivor Bueb won The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955 driving a Jaguar D-Type. The following year, a few days before the race, a British broadcaster put cameras on Hawthorne's car, hung a mic from a plate on his race suit and had him narrate a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe.

It is compelling viewing. A new pit complex was built after the massive accident on the front straight in 1955, but this was still a time when crews prepped for the race on roads that were open to the public. Hawthorne's lap includes maneuvers to avoid bicyclists and cars, and gems like letting us know that doing 185 miles per hour down the Mulsanne Straight was where you could "relax a little, recover your energy." Watch him work it like the men of old in the video below.

Continue reading Lapping Le Mans with 1956's version of a dash cam

Lapping Le Mans with 1956's version of a dash cam originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 May 2013 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar launching factory-backed heritage racing team

Noah Joseph — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Jaguar

Although Jaguar may not be racing all that much these days, motorsport competition was an integral part to forming its identity decades ago. And it's that legacy that Jaguar aims to tap into with its latest development.

The British auto marque has of late been participating in numerous classic racing events, but is now intensifying and organizing its efforts under the Jaguar Heritage Racing banner. Managed for the factory by specialist firm JD Classics of Essex, the program will see the C-Type and D-Type (click on the image above to enlarge the two classic cats) challenging revival events at venues as varied as Goodwood, the Nürburgring and the Mille Miglia, where the initiative will make its first appearance this May.

Although limited in scope to classic racing events, the renewed effort will see the factory getting back onto the track in an arguably more substantial way than it has with the Jaguar RSR XKR GT2, retapping the racing spirit not seen in Coventry since winning Le Mans with the XJR-12 in 1990 and selling its F1 team in 2004 - but which could, if recent rumors come to fruition, resurface again with a new LMP1 in the near future. In the meantime you can read more about the Jaguar Heritage Racing program in the press release below.

Continue reading Jaguar launching factory-backed heritage racing team

Jaguar launching factory-backed heritage racing team originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2010: Jaguar's 75th birthday party at Pebble Beach

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Jaguar, Misc. Auto Shows

Jaguar 75th Anniversary at Pebble Beach - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've already shown you that Jaguar was honored at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with a dozen XK-SS roadsters showing up for the party, but there were other Jaguars on hand as well - lots and lots of remarkable Jags.

The history of Jaguar actually began almost 90 years ago when two young men hell-bent on motorcycle glory set up a small company to produce sidecars under the Swallow name in 1922. The younger of the two was William Lyons, who later became Sir William Lyons, mainly because Jaguar went on to bring Britain so much motoring glory. The sidecar business eventually turned into an automobile coachworks, with custom bodies on a bespoke Standard brand chassis that became know as the S.S.I. and S.S.II.

For the follow-up to those early S.S. models - Standard Swallow some think - Lyons had commissioned a new overhead-valve six-cylinder engine that was about 50 percent more powerful than the old side-valve engines they had been using. They put the new engine in a new chassis, enclosed it in the company's first four-door sedan body and Lyons personally chose what he thought was the most appropriate name from a list of choices given to him by his advertising people - Jaguar. On September 23, 1935, the company unveiled the SS Jaguar to London's assembled press. That car led to the short-wheelbase SS Jaguar 100 sports car that helped establish Jaguar's reputation for performance with its early racing success.

After World War II, the company decided to change its name to simply 'Jaguar,' dropping the newly infamous "S.S." label. The automaker also started focusing less on inexpensive sportscars for the homeland market, and more on luxurious models aimed at capturing rich American buyers. One way to do that was with new product and Lyons and his crew were cooking up a duesie - a new sportscar featuring a double overhead cam engine just like the race cars of the era. The goal was 160 horsepower from the engine's 3.4-liter capacity and a 120 mph top speed. That car was the iconic XK120 - "XK" for the engine and "120" for the car's top speed. That begat the XK140 and 150 and a whole slew of other legendary vehicles that bore the Jaguar name.

Some of the finest examples of Jaguar's pedigree were on hand at Pebble Beach on Sunday. Take a look in our high-res gallery below.

1935 S.S. 90
1935 S.S.I. Drophead Coupe
1938 Jaguar SS100 Roadster
1952 Jaguar C-type
1953 Jaguar XK120 SE Roadster
1955 Jaguar D-Type
1961 Jaguar E-Type Fixed Head Coupe
1966 Jaguar XJ13 Prototype

Gallery: Jaguar 75th Anniversary at Pebble Beach

Monterey 2010: Jaguar's 75th birthday party at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar observes 75-year anniversary by celebrating past, looking to the future

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Jaguar

Grace and pace and something else - click above for high-res image gallery

Grace and pace. One cannot properly talk Jaguar without mentioning the brand's calling car. For the last 75 years those two attributes have separated Jag from the rest of the pack. After all, not only did the E-Type look that good, but when is debuted in 1961 few cars could match its speed. Those that could, well, they sure didn't look like a Jaguar.

Lately however, the shag-you-are song hasn't exactly remained the same. Don't get us wrong, the brand's adherence to V8s and superchargers has largely ensured the pace part of the equation has been there, but grace... not so much. Or, in the case of the Europe-only diesel X-type Estate (read: station wagon), both terms were rudely, death knellingly absent.

To mark the occasion of their 75th anniversary Jaguar is claiming the old mojo is back. As something more than casual observers of the auto industry, we can assure you that they aren't far off. Five seconds into any journey featuring the brand's new 5.0-liter supercharged V8 will make a believer out of anyone. Moreover, the few fleeting minutes we've spent inside the new XJ's cockpit have made us born again. It might very well be the most graceful interior on planet earth. Now if they could just do something about the XK's snout... Make the jump to check out Jaguar's 75th Anniversary press release, and enjoy the gallery-it's superb.

Gallery: Jaguar 75th Anniversary

[Source: Jaguar]

Continue reading Jaguar observes 75-year anniversary by celebrating past, looking to the future

Jaguar observes 75-year anniversary by celebrating past, looking to the future originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1956 Jaguar D-Type brings $3.74 million at Gooding & Company auction

Drew Phillips — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:37:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Jaguar

1956 Jaguar D-Type at Gooding & Company - Click above for high-res image

You can only attend so many auctions in the same day, so unfortunately we couldn't make it over to the Gooding & Company auction held in Scottsdale yesterday. We missed some pretty incredible cars go up for sale, though, especially this gorgeous 1956 Jaguar D-Type that sold for $3.74 million. The car has an impressive racing history in the United States that includes podium finishes at Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Palm Springs, Riverside, Paramount Ranch and Pomona.

This D-Type was among three cars that broke the million dollar mark; a 1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe ($1.815 million) and a 1959 Costin Lister Jaguar Sports Racer ($1.1 million) being the other two. In a generous act, Gooding & Company also donated a portion of its $15 million in total sales to the International Response Fund of the American Red Cross to help the relief efforts in Haiti. Hit the jump for full details about Gooding & Company's 2010 Scottsdale auction.

[Source: Gooding & Company]

Continue reading 1956 Jaguar D-Type brings $3.74 million at Gooding & Company auction

1956 Jaguar D-Type brings $3.74 million at Gooding & Company auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow back on the auction block at Bonhams in August

Noah Joseph — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Audi

Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The history of the notorious Silver Arrow racers parallels that of the nation which bore its birth. In the years leading up to WWII, Adolf Hitler was bent on world conquest - not just on the battlefield, but on the race track as well. Convinced that motor racing was the perfect venue to exhibit what he viewed as Germany's superiority, the Fuhrer commissioned Germany's top engineers at both Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union to develop a generation of advanced racing machines that would later become known as the Silver Arrows. The 1938 Auto Union D-Type was Hitler's favorite.

The cars reigned victorious in the 1930s, but with the outbreak of the war, racing in Europe ground to a halt. The following decade Nazi Germany lay in ruins, Hitler was dead, and the Soviets seized the D-Types from the Auto Union factory in East Germany. With an Iron Curtain cutting off contact between the Soviet Bloc and the Western world, enthusiasts and historians were convinced the Silver Arrows remained intact somewhere in the Communist empire, but all the while they were being brutally dismantled. Although many of the Mercedes pre-war racers survived, few of the Auto Unions did. Only three of these D-Types are known to remain intact.

The example you see here, Chassis 19, was painstakingly restored to original condition, and was set to hit the auction block at Christie's two years ago until it was withdrawn at the last minute due to unanswered questions over its heritage and provenance. With the questions answered and its pedigree assured, Bonhams is now offering this extremely rare and most desirable piece of automotive history at its upcoming auction at the Quail Lodge this coming August, where it is expected to fetch in excess of $8 million. But with previous estimates having placed it closer to $12 million, it stands a real chance of breaking the $12.2 million record set by the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testarossa at the RM Auction in Maranello just last month. Check out the press release after the jump and the high-res pictures in the gallery below.

Gallery: Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow

[Source: Bonhams]

Continue reading Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow back on the auction block at Bonhams in August

Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow back on the auction block at Bonhams in August originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar to headline this year's Mille Miglia

Noah Joseph — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Jaguar

1953 Jaguar D-Type (above), 2009 Jaguar XKR and XFR (below right) - Click on either image to view in high resolution

The Mille Miglia is one of those iconic races that, even though it's not run anymore as a contemporary competitive race, is still celebrated every year with a retrospective historic rally along the original route through the Italian countryside. Ferraris, Alfa Romeos and Maseratis typically make up a healthy portion of the field, but this year Jaguar will be out in full force with a factory-backed contingent.

The Jaguar Heritage Trust is bringing out a fleet of some of its most iconic classics, including a long-nose D-Type (pictured above), the C-Type which raced the 1953 Mille Miglia, plus three more vintage C-Types and a Mark VII saloon. Jaguar will also be sending a fleet of new XKRs and XFRs (pictured right) to support the event, but classic Jag racing lovers will undoubtedly be looking forward just as much to seeing Norman Dewis, the legendary Jaguar factory test driver who co-drove with Sterling Moss at the event in 1952. Altogether an impressive array of classic Jaguar workhorses to celebrate the marque's heritage.

[Source: Octane]

Jaguar to headline this year's Mille Miglia originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now this is gorgeous: Jaguar D-Types returning to Le Mans

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 25 May 2007 09:07:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Jaguar

Click image to enlarge

Next month's 24 Hours of Le Mans is set to be a battle of the diesels with either Audi or Peugeot celebrating at the top of the podium on Sunday. However, before the race starts on Saturday, Jaguar will be the team doing some celebrating. Two Jaguar D-Types will be on hand in France to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of their famous 1-2-3-4-6 finish.

The cars that finished first and second in 1957 will be back in France together for the first time in fifty years. They'll take three laps of the circuit on Saturday morning and then participate in the trophy presentation that takes place immediately ahead of the start of the race. The D-Type was one of the most beautiful race cars of all time and won Le Mans three years in a row, culminating in the dominating 1957 victory.

[Source: Jaguar]

Continue reading Now this is gorgeous: Jaguar D-Types returning to Le Mans

Now this is gorgeous: Jaguar D-Types returning to Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 May 2007 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recently acquired Proteus to debut Jaguar C-Type Coupe replica

John Neff — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:24:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Jaguar

Proteus is a well respected manufacturer of replica sports cars based in the U.K. It currently offers convertible versions of the Jaguar C-Type (pictured at right) and D-Type that are near spot-on doppelgangers of the originals. Much has been happening in Proteus' world lately, as the company was recently acquired by its rival, Enduro Cars. This should be a good thing for Proteus, especially considering that Enduro Cars has made significant inroads in establishing a presence in the U.S., building a retail and service center in Irvine, California and new offices in Litchfield, Connecticut.

What's of more interest is news that Proteus may build a coupe version of its Jaguar C-Type replica, as shown in the rendering above. A scale model of the coupe will be shown at Race Retro during the 2007 International Historic Motorsport Show in Coventry, England this weekend. The show is somewhat of a relaunch for the Proteus brand under the stewardship of Enduro Cars, and if the public reacts favorably to the C-Type Coupe model it will likely get the go ahead for sale.

Press release after the jump

[Source: Proteus]

Gallery: Proteus C-Type

Continue reading Recently acquired Proteus to debut Jaguar C-Type Coupe replica

Recently acquired Proteus to debut Jaguar C-Type Coupe replica originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AUCTION ACTION: The most expensive car ever? Hitler's Auto Union on the auction block

Dan Roth — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:16:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Classics, Trends, Auctions

One of two remaining Auto Union D-Types is scheduled to be sold in Paris by Christie's this coming February. The shiny silver streamliners were commisioned by Adolf Hitler to showcase the technological superiority of the Reich. Even now, they're impressive and cleverly engineered using a mid-engine layout with fully independent suspensions and supercharged engines. Considering that these cars were designed and built in the 1930s, they're absolutely insane. Uber designer Ferdinand Porsche developed the Auto Union racers and they showcase some common Porsche touches, like swing axle rear suspensions and torsion bars. Piloted by drivers like Hans Stuck and Tazio Nuvolari, the big streamliners racked up many victories in various hill-climb and Grand Prix competitions. Nearly all D-Types were casualties of World War II. This 1939 racer was discovered disassembled in Russia, where it had been taken for reverse-engineering. It was reassembled and is expected to top the current most expensive car record-holder, an 1$11 million Bugatti.

[Source: Ananova.com]

AUCTION ACTION: The most expensive car ever? Hitler's Auto Union on the auction block originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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